June 18, 2015

expert reaction to potential chlamydia vaccine in mice

A paper published in the journal Science looked at a potential vaccine against chlamydia in a humanised mouse model, and reported a possible solution to the issues with previous trials of chlamydia vaccines, where the candidate vaccines appeared to make participants more vulnerable to infection rather than protecting them. In this study, the potential vaccine reportedly elicited a good immune response in mice without increasing their risk of infection, and could lead to clinical trials for a human vaccine.

Dr Kim Watson, Associate Professor in Structural Biology, University of Reading, said:

“The search for a chlamydia vaccine has had a long and somewhat chequered history – one that has been hampered by the complexity of our immune response to this pathogen, and also the struggle to find an effective means of delivering a vaccine.

“This study offers a ray of hope for the future. The researchers have employed an innovative, two-prong approach – first addressing the immediate immune response and then delivering the vaccine via a new method using synthetic nanoparticles, small carrier systems, to provide longer-term protection.

“Similar approaches have been used to develop drug delivery systems and in imaging techniques. This is the first time this technology and double-whammy approach has been applied to chlamydia.

“The technology has a strong foundation as a delivery method. However, clearly more testing would be needed to assess its effectiveness in humans, and to address any potential adverse effects. While this is an exciting step, bringing us closer to a human vaccine, it is early in the development stage.

“However, there is no doubt this work represents an important step forward in finding an effective vaccine against chlamydia trachomatis and other complex pathogens.”

Declared interests

No interests declared